This podcast is my way to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Congo, through contemporary musicians from Kinshasa & the Congolese diaspora in Brussels. Including a re-take of the classic “Indépendance Cha-Cha” + the master of Congolese guitar Dizzy Mandjeku. In Belgium it’s mainly through rap & slam that the...
Tag Archives: Central Africa
You can call it Afro-jazz, but we prefer to define it “Afro-joy”, because that’s what Kongo Dia Ntotila eventually bring and share with their music. The London-based six-piece band, led by talented Congolese bass player Mulele Matondo, presents an upbeat fusion of Central and West African styles, blending together the aforementioned...
Congolese music has a storied history and, over the past 40 years or so, Kanda Bongo Man has been right at the centre of it all, developing his sparkling brand of soukous initially with Orchestre Bella-Mambo and then, following a move to Paris at the end of the 70s, his...
From the first jazz-solo drum rhythms of David Lessie that opened the show, to the cyclical afro-lead from John Kelly’s guitar, every beat of each song resonated throughout the grooving crowd, and certainly through band leader Mulele Matondo, who I’m sure jived to every single note of the show, constantly...
Kinshasa’s calling! On Thursday, Haile Music and Rich Mix will host a quintessential Congolese music night, presenting Kongo Dia Ntotila on the Shoreditch venue’s stage. The London-based band, formed by Kinshasa-born Mulele Matondo (vocals and bass) and David Lessie (drums), plus British John Kelly (guitar), Will Scott and Mike Soper (trumpets),...
It’s been almost a year since we last saw the Scottish/Zambian singer-songwriter Namvula. This coming Friday the 20th April, Rich Mix is hosting her latest album launch Quiet Revolutions. She draws inspiration from her own life journey which has touched multiple countries and ethnicities. Her composition style intertwines metaphorical images...
![Album Review: Hamad Kalkaba and The Golden Sounds 1974 -1975 [Analog Africa; December 2017]](http://www.rhythmpassport.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/hamad-kalkaba-335x335.jpg)
Following on from 2017’s hotly received Pop Makossa collection, Analog Africa label head Samy Ben Redjeb has dug even deeper into Cameroon’s dusty vinyl vaults and unearthed the lost recordings of Hamad Kalkaba. Kalkaba was a gifted young musician who rose to become chief of the Republican Guard’s Orchestra, but...
They said there will be two “intimate” shows, but when it comes to KOKOKO!’s vibe, there’s nothing intimate or cushy about it. You’ll jump up, dance and move relentlessly to their vibrant Afro-electro groove! Hailing from Kinshasa, the five-piece collective is one of the biggest up-and-coming names in today’s world...
![Album Review: Gael Faye – Rythmes et Botanique [Caroline International, 4th April 2017]](http://www.rhythmpassport.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/810zwruwy9l._sl1181_-335x335.jpg)
Rwanda’s Gael Faye is perhaps one of the very few living rappers today with a very successful novel, published in the midst of releasing impressive rap albums. In both literature and music, he is a raconteur of straightforward tales and opinions, sure to bedazzle. With Rythmes et Botanique, he’s produced...
Fully immerse yourself in everything funky and groovy that Africa has to offer. For one night, London will move its hips to some of the best Afro-vibes thanks to two of the most sought-after and refined DJ-sets you can enjoy. It’s no exaggeration to say that Samy Ben Redjeb (Analog...
